Rio hits out over a game too far

Rio Ferdinand has hit out at the scheduling of tonight's friendly match in South Africa, saying what many in the game privately feel - that it is a fixture too far after a gruelling domestic season.

"It's baffling that we have had to travel so far this week and, to be honest, the whole fixture list is baffling," Ferdinand said. "I'm back at [Manchester] United on July 7 and we go to America 10 days later. Some players have it even worse with the Confederations Cup in France. It's laughable. I think I got more of a break with the World Cup."

The Confederations Cup runs for nine days from June 19, which means many players will have to return immediately to their clubs for pre-season training. Ferdinand added: "If you want to get the best out of players you have to give them as much rest as possible and the only time you can do that is the summer. In my opinion, it's up to Uefa and the FA to sort it out. The PFA should make a stand, too, talking to the international team captains who play in England."

Ferdinand, who fought an exhausting campaign in which United came from behind to take the title, felt that this week would have been an ideal opportunity for players to put their feet up in between the long domestic season and England's upcoming Euro 2004 qualifier against Slovakia on June 11.

He said: "The lads can't understand why Uefa can't get it sorted out so we could have played the Slovakia game a week or two after the end of the season, rather than a full month. A month down the line is a long time to stay fit and focused for just one game. It's disjointed and the three England games are spread over too long a period."

Ferdinand is only echoing the protests of many other players and managers over a season that is fast turning into a 12-month calendar. But the elite clubs are already complaining about the loss of games due to the new Champions League format next season, which will mean reduced television revenue.

Football's ruling bodies are also reluctant to accede to the call for a mid-season break because they fear clubs will merely take their players off to the far corners of the earth for lucrative friendly matches.

Manchester United's tour of the United States, which begins on the west coast and finishes on the east, is part of the champions' attempt to maintain their position as the game's leading brand name and keep them financially ahead of their English rivals.